I was Kicked Out of the Hunter’s Guild

I looked at her, feeling a bit puzzled.

This wasn’t quite the scene I had imagined.

“Forgive you?” I asked, narrowing my eyes. “That’s not like you. What do you mean by that?”

“…Literally.”

Jiseon kept her head down, tears streaming down her face as she spoke.

“Since you left, I haven’t had a single night of proper sleep. Not once. I couldn’t focus on anything—not even games. The person who had been by my side for the past four years just… disappeared.”

Her voice trembled.

“I couldn’t do anything right. No matter what I did, there was only one thing on my mind—memories. Memories of everything I did wrong to you.”

From the way she spoke, from her expression—I could tell.

This wasn’t just a performance.

This was coming from the heart.

“I… I didn’t realize it at first. But after you left, I finally understood. I realized just how much nonsense I put you through. How much you had to endure because of me.”

She bit her lip, her voice cracking.

“And after realizing that… I knew I had to apologize. At least—at least I wanted to make up for the scars I caused you. That’s why I came here. To say I’m sorry… To tell you that I regret everything.”

“….”

“I’m begging you… I’ll do anything… So please… forgive me. Forgive me for all the mistakes I’ve made until now… please…”

Her words were straightforward.

A simple story, really.

In other words, she had come because the guilt had finally caught up with her. She wanted forgiveness for all the wrong she had done.

But—

As I listened to her pleading, one thing became clear.

I didn’t feel the slightest desire to forgive her.

Not even a little.

Like I had told her before—

If you could put someone’s life in danger for four years and simply apologize afterward, there would be no need for laws or police in this world.

And yet—

There was a single reason I hadn’t dragged her actions into the public eye or filed legal charges.

Because I knew.

The lower-ranking hunters in the 28th Guild—those ABC-level hunters who had suffered alongside me—would inevitably get caught up in the fallout.

They didn’t deserve that.

So I kept the rage buried deep in the corner of my heart.

And now, one of the very people responsible for all of it was standing in front of me—

Crying. Begging for forgiveness.

“I’ll do anything.”

Hearing those words, I let out a silent sigh.

‘Haa… She really said that. But the timing for this is… terrible.’

If I had heard this from her when we were alone—

Honestly, with all the resentment I’d built up over the years, I might have beaten this dog-like woman like a punching bag.

As a hunter, her body’s durability would be higher than that of ordinary people.

No matter how hard I hit her, the risk of serious injury would be minimal.

She would’ve made a decent outlet for my frustration.

But—

Unfortunately, right now, standing beside me wasn’t just anyone.

It was Iare.

Unlike this bitch, Iare was someone I genuinely wanted to grow closer to.

Today’s events had improved the atmosphere between us considerably, and I wasn’t about to ruin that by showing my ugliest side.

No matter how much the woman in front of me disgusted me, I couldn’t let Iare see that.

‘What to do… Should I call her out later and beat her when the mood’s right? No… that feels a little off. Timing’s everything with something like that.’

Besides, I knew better than anyone—

Even though this anger-management disaster was sitting right in front of me now, if I lost control again, I could end up regretting it.

‘Hmm… If that’s the case, maybe beating her isn’t the best option after all…’

And then—

An idea.

A good idea suddenly popped into my head.

A way to use her guilt.

To exploit it.

Not just to make her pay—but to put a leash on her, one that wouldn’t come off easily.

A way that could even benefit Dreamers, the guild I belonged to.

I slowly turned my gaze back to Jiseon, my expression cold and unreadable.

“Forgive you?” I repeated, voice icy. “So you finally realized what you did wrong. That’s a start. But you know what?”

I took a step closer.

“The things you did… don’t you think they’re far too much for me to forgive so easily?”

“Yes! I know! That’s why I said—I’ll do anything! If… if you want… I’ll even give you my first—”

– CRACK! –

Suddenly, from behind me, there was a sharp sound.

Like something being ground—harsh and deliberate.

I couldn’t quite figure out the source of that sharp sound from earlier.

But that didn’t matter.

More importantly, I had no intention—none whatsoever—of accepting anything from this disgusting woman, especially not what she had just offered.

Frowning at Jiseon’s words, I spoke firmly.

“I don’t need that. I’m not that stupid.”

My gaze sharpened.

“What I want is something else.”

“Something… else?”

At my words, Jiseon repeated them back, her voice carrying a trace of regret.

Seeing her like that, I calmly laid out what I had in mind.

Jiseon seemed to think about it seriously for a moment, her expression stiff.

Then, after a brief pause, she nodded.

“…Really… just that? If I do that for the next four years… that’ll be enough?”

“Yeah.” I nodded without hesitation.

“I don’t want anything more than that. As I said, this is simply compensation—restitution for the four years I suffered.”

“…Okay.”

Jiseon lowered her gaze and bit her lip.

“I’ll do it. Just like you said, oppa.”

Even though there was still hesitation in her voice, she ultimately accepted the conditions.

And just like that—

I had secured an excellent source of information, something I could use in the future.

A cold smile began to tug at the corners of my lips.

***

“Then… I’ll go now… See you next time, oppa.”

“Yeah, yeah… go on. Don’t forget to contact me.”

“Yes. Take care, oppa.”

With that, Jiseon boarded the bus and disappeared from sight, her expression showing a trace of relief.

Watching her leave, I finally felt a sense of relief myself—like I had finally shaken off a heavy burden that had been clinging to me.

And right after that—

I slowly turned my gaze toward Iare, who had been standing beside me the entire time, silently observing everything.

As always, Iare’s face showed little emotion. Her expression remained dry and unreadable.

Looking at her, I decided to speak first.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to drag you into such a nuisance.”

“No… it’s fine. But…”

The next moment, Iare looked at me, her expression shifting slightly—showing a trace of regret.

Seeing her like that, I couldn’t help but feel curious.

And then, in a voice filled with seriousness, she spoke.

“Honestly… I wonder if your response earlier wasn’t too merciful. If it had been me, I would’ve used that bitch as a punching bag—repaying the pain, blow by blow, starting with a fist to the face.”

“…Really… that might have been the better approach.”

Her words echoed almost exactly what I had been thinking earlier.

Hearing her say that, I couldn’t help but feel a little regret—regret that I hadn’t realized sooner that Iare thought the same way.

Of course, I still believed that taking a more practical approach suited me better.

But for a brief moment—

I wondered how satisfying it might have been to follow Iare’s method instead.

“Anyway, it’s getting late. I guess I should head home.”

“Yes. Honestly, I would’ve liked to look around a little longer, considering how much time was wasted… but yeah, it’s definitely getting a bit late.”

If we returned too late, we’d have to unlock the front door ourselves and go through the complicated security procedures.

It was always better to stick to curfew when possible.

With a hint of regret lingering in the air, we headed straight to the parking lot.

And, naturally—

At some point, without even realizing it, we were holding each other’s hands again.

The reason?

“So we don’t get pushed around by the crowd.”

Or at least, that was the excuse.